Quasar #34

Throughout the crossover, various characters have asked whether the needs of one little planet such as Earth outweigh the needs of an entire galaxy. Quasar finally has to answer that question as the Skrull ship attempts to enter Kree space. The Super-Skrull makes a cameo appearance, but Quasar is able to dispose of him quickly. The Skrulls make it a clear choice: either let them tow the Nega-Bomb through the gate or they will blow it up next to Earth. Quasar, thinking he will be able to stop them later, lets them through the gate (essentially failing for the third time to prevent people from using the stargate – the main reason he was left behind in the first place). With this final stargate activity, the sun is in dire straits: things are not looking good for any galaxy.

After a brief look at some of Quasar’s friends back home (who are having serious problems themselves), the narrative moves right back to immediate consequences of Quasar’s decision to let the stargate activate again: the sun is about to go nova. The answer comes in an intriguing solution: Binary – Carol Danvers, former Ms. Marvel, present Shi’ar Starjammer (and apparent moonlighter, so to speak, for the Imperial Guard). As a bridge between the aggressors and the “innocent bystander victims” from Earth, Binary is a fitting and thoroughly clever way to bring a successful conclusion to the impetus for the Avengers’ involvement in the war. Quasar, as Protector of the Universe, does his best to contain and eliminate the deleterious anti-matter spots on the sun, but he is not powerful enough to do it, even with his Quantum Bands (which, as their name indicates, are only good for interacting with positive matter). In some stunning panels, Binary takes the entirety of the sun’s destruction into herself, saving the solar system through as heroic a sacrifice as the entire crossover has seen. Everyone has talked about sacrifice and heroism and morality and justice – but Binary, one of the most ill-treated characters in the Marvel Universe (by her fellow characters, not the creative teams responsible), has actually done it.

Fittingly enough, Quasar finally does something successful and manages to rescue Binary before she is completely consumed by the anti-matter. With the sun finally healed, and at least one galaxy saved, Quasar returns Binary to Avengers headquarters, with Earth none the wiser how close to destruction it had been. At HQ Quasar learns Binary used to be the Avenger Ms. Marvel, so someone has learned something through all this, at least. Grabbing a quick bite for lunch, Quasar heads out to intercept the Nega-Bomb. With everyone racing to intercept the Nega-Bomb, we know it’s going to be an intense conclusion in the penultimate installment. The winds of war are at full blast. The issue feels a little cramped, which is odd, considering it has the fewest characters (other than Wonder Man). The cramped feeling comes, I think, from the rapid conclusion to the Super-Skrull fight and the panels with Her and Epoch seeming almost obligatory more than central to the story. Perhaps had they focused more on Binary’s internal debate it would have been more successful – but it’s still a very good installment of the series, even this late into it. The crossover has lost no momentum even with the several narrative shifts and is only picking up speed heading into the completely predicted but wholly startling conclusion.